Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Feel The Dreadwave With Dedderz

By Rick Shithouse

I became aware of the Dedderz movement under their Joystixx brand on the original MOTU2 compilations from 2009 and it brings me great joy to have them rockin then scene still today... and rockin it so hard!

When I made contact with Dedderz a couple of years ago it pained me to see them unappreciated and unknown to most of the 80s inspired synth scene and that all the wonderful work they were doing was completely unknown to the audience who I thought was really going to be the most supportive.

Dedderz have embedded themselves beautifully in to the 80s inspired synth scene since with numerous collaborations now under their collective belts and finding their sound appeciated by a new audience. The endless work this duo do to promote and refine their image as well their own personalised take on 80s sound makes the Dedderz experience something most unlike anything else in the 80s inspired synth scene; in music, design and aesthetic.

COME_ALIVE [EP] by Dedderz
Aggressively taking cues from Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Pop Will Eat Itself while mixing up a whole mess of darker, sleazy and exploitative influences Dedderz rock their sound hard and in your face in a hugely confrontational manner. Hearing familiar 80s inspired synth artists do their best to temper their chaotic energies in more traditional 80s synth directions makes for an explosive combination.

Their Come Alive Ep features work with Irving Force on the insanely catchy chainsaw-pop track 'Ravage', which was featured on last years Halloween Rhythm Vivisection Mixtape and still stands up as a massively impressive track. The EP then takes one of my personal favourite groups, Batch Sound, into the Dreadwave Zone and the combination of sounds accentuates both acts' strong points in a hugely engaging manner as the nihilistic future sounds get a less abrasive atmosphere and get those classically 80s hooky Batch Sound melodies rockin all the right ways.

VHS Dreams enlists in the Dreadwave army next and the thudding drums usher in smooth synth melodies while Vid Vicious and Nuke Puke Em's vocals tell the story of 'She's So Rad'. This is a true anthem as the chaos is kept in check for the majority of the track and a groove is developed and allowed to really carry the track.

The dark instrumental segue, 'Ooze Of The Plasmatix' sets the scene for the final and title track of the EP 'Come Alive'. The mixture of Dedderz influences is always an enticing part of each of their songs as nods to vintage sounds and visuals are never far away and in plentiful supply. 'Come Alive' brings the drama and danger on waves of crashing synths and lyrics that completely befit the nature of the music.

The Dedderz rockin ain't even close to stopping though as yet another EP was released only the day before Come Alive. Yearbook Of The Programmed Damned unleashed four more tracks of menacing mechanical machinations on a public unprepared to deal with their malicious intensity.

Opening up with 'Streets Of 2099' Ron Cannon brandishes his synth weapon in an all out battle on the streets (of 2099) in a high energy brawl of Dreadwave. The whole question of 'what is Dreadwave?' can be best answered I think by picturing that the threat of the nuclear apocalypse actually happened in the 80s and this is the soundtrack that has evolved in the charred wastelands over the last few decades. Imagine it. Grunge never happened. Nu Metal never happened. Celine Dion. Nickelback. NSYNC. Bieber. Never existed.

The end of the 80s marked the end of true civilisation (well, it did to me anyway, but I digress). That late 80s electro industrial sound experienced on early NIN and the wonderful music Ministry released in the 80s are the last remnants of melody and the Dreadwave forges them with the musical spirit of the 80s in a soundtrack for the mutants that survived the atomic holocaust; now rising to a new power.

Well, that's my take on the Dreadwave sound and in one of the most accomplished collaborations I'm yet to hear the remaining three tracks on Yearbook Of The Programmed Damned find Dedderz taking Python Blue into the fold with absolutely kick arse to the max results. The early 80s, heavily Gary Numan influenced and atmospheric synthscapes that Python Blue has refined over the last couple of years find the perfect accompaniment in Dedderz aggressive percussion/vocals and arrangements.

This combination is completely complementary to both creative minds and allows both to create new, expansive dimensions in their sounds in monstrously exciting ways. One needs only experience the opening stanzas of 'Souls On Ice' to feel that powerful musical magic crunch its way through the riffs and synths in a way that creates wonderful 80s homage with a harder modern edge. The chaos is traded for cold, glassy grooves, refined and full of menace.

'Eject The Videomancer' finds Python Blue embracing even darker loves and Dedderz thoroughly revelling in the misery of the futureless future. I especially enjoy Vid Vicious and Nuke Puke Em's ability to use their different vocal styles to really capitalise on the emotional investment in the music. The vocal performance on 'Eject The Videomancer' really shine in this respect while the unstoppable synth engine powers across the war torn landscape like a juggernaut.

The tempo picks up in 'Cyborg Academy' and the energy takes on new militaristic intents as they march in time with the stabbing synths, taking over the minds of the weak willed and blood thirsty alike. The pin sharp focus of the track makes for wholly riveting experience.

You think that's enough Dedderz for you? Wrong! If this wasn't enough music to release in a two day period they also unleashed two remixes of their tracks by none other than Cluster Buster and GOST! I'm usually not a fan of remixes in general, to no one's suprise, but when Dedderz get remixed by 80s inspired synth producers it definitely gets my attention. The bones and organs of Dreadwave repurposed and reanimated with neon energies and a gaited swagger just rocks too damned hard, check out both remixes here and here.

It's a huge start to 2016 with Dedderz rockin the scene like nobodies business and I'm champing at the bit to hear more of their musical journey as we progress through the year. Get all the Dedderz rockin for all the above releases on their bandcamp here and get all the cold hard facts on www.dedderzworld.com to make sure you know exactly when the world's going to end so you can press play just in time.

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Synthetix.FM is dedicated exclusively to 80s inspired synth music. This music is my passion and Synthetix is all about sharing the love and appreciation for those who make this beautiful music and enlightening others to its wonder.

Synthetix.FM covers Synthwave, OutRun, Italo Disco, Dark Synth, Slash Electro, Electro Funk, Soundtrack Synth, Synth Romance, Synth Pop and any other denomination of synthesizer based music that is created as an homage to the classic 80s sounds and emotions.